Iron Man (film)
Iron Man is a 2008 superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. It was directed by Jon Favreau and stars Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Mickey Rourke, Scarlett Johansson, Milo Ventimiglia, and Jeff Bridges. It was released on May 2, 2008. Plot In 1991, Howard and Maria Stark, the billionaire couple running Stark Industries, are killed in a car crash, leaving behind their young adult son, Tony Stark. Stark refuses to inherit the company until years later, finally accepting responsibility. In 2008, Stark is in Afghanistan to test a new missile for the military. Along with him are his personal assistant Pepper Potts and military liason and best friend James Rhodes. However, during the test launch, Stark is kidnapped and forced to build a rough draft an exo-skeleton that he had been working on in the U.S. However, Stark instead dons the armor when it is built and escapes the terrorists. Returning to the U.S., Stark learns that he was presumed deceased, and chairman Obadiah Stane took over as CEO, firing Pepper and appointing Natalie Rushman as his new PA. However, Stark takes back the company but, taking a liking to Rushman, keeps her and Pepper as his assistants. Rhodes and the military are revealed to have caught Stark flying away on camera, but do not reveal this to the public. While attending a press conference for questioning, Stark denies the rumors of his exo-suit, claiming he escaped the terrorists and found a pilot who flew him home. However, a masked terrorist with whips similar to the power of the exo-suit attacks and nearly kills Pepper, before Stark dons the exo-suit once more and saves her. However, due to the panic, no one seems to have seen Stark. The terrorist is revealed to be Mark Scarlotti, though he escapes. Stark decides to build a new and improved suit. He also begins to have feelings for Pepper, though she is dating his chauffeur Happy Hogan. After the attack at the press conference is revealed, the public begins to wonder who the "Iron Man" was. The military decides to coerce Stark into building them suits to fight the Afghani, though Rhodes warns Stark before they raid his house. Stark manages to escape in the new suit, destroying the old one and burning all blueprints. The military discover no trace of the suits in his house, with Stark hiding out in Stark Industries, where Pepper finds him in the suit. Stark makes her promise not to tell anyone of his secret. Scarlotti is revealed to be working with the Ten Rings, the group that kidnapped Stark, who had left behind the source of the power in his suit. Scarlotti repairs one of his damaged whips and decides to go after Stark again. In New York, Rhodes finds Stark but reminds him that he cannot hide forever. However, the military arrives and Rhodes is revealed to have led them to Stark. Stark is taken in, but refuses to build more of the suits. The military continues to press him, until Scarlotti arrives and fights Stark again, who forces the military to give his suit back. Rhodes dons a unfinished suit and helps Stark. However, Scarlotti gets away with him. Rhodes returns to Stark Industries, where Pepper learns of Stark's kidnapping. Stane takes over as CEO again, angering everyone. Pepper and Rhodes decide to have Happy fly them to Afghanistan, though Rushman joins them, revealing she knew about Stark's identity as soon as he returned. The jet they take is shot down over Afghanistan, though Happy manages to make an emergency landing. Happy stays with Pepper and Rushman in the damaged plane, while Rhodes, wearing his completed suit goes to find Stark. At the Ten Rings' base, Rhodes arrives and fights them off. However, the Ten Rings had already sent soldiers to the site of the plane. Rushman manages to fight them off, revealing she knows martial arts. Happy is killed in action, though Pepper gets revenge, killing one of the soldiers. The military stationed in Afghanistan arrive at the Ten Rings and, with Stark and Rhodes' help, stop the last of the Ten Rings, though a dying soldiers tells Stark that there will always be more of them. Scarlotti is taken into custody, while Stark, Rhodes, Pepper, and Rushman are flown back to New York. Stane is once again angry to learn of Stark's return, while everyone attends Happy's funeral. Rhodes agrees to destroy his suit, and the military agrees to not force Stark into building anything, as long as he responds to their call when they need him. Stane is revealed to be working with the Ten Rings, and asks to speak with "The Mandarin", while Rushman is working for a mysterious agency targeting Stark. In a post-credits scene, Stark meets Nick Fury, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., who says that there are others like him. Cast *Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man *Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts *Don Cheadle as James Rhodes *Mickey Rourke as Mark Scarlotti/Whiplash *Scarlett Johansson as Natalie Rushman *Milo Ventimiglia as Happy Hogan *Jeff Bridges as Obadiah Stane Reception 'Box office' Iron Man grossed $318.4 million (54.4%) in the United States and Canada and $266.8 million (45.6%) in other territories for a total of $585.2 million. Worldwide, it is the one-hundred-sixtieth highest-grossing film and the eighth highest-grossing 2008 film. It achieved a worldwide opening weekend of $201.1 million. 'Critical reception' Iron Man received critical acclaim from critics, with praise for its acting (particularly Downey's), screenplay, direction, visual effects, and action sequences. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 93% approval rating with an average score of 7.7/10, based on 275 reviews.